Device for arranging boxes



March 3, 1931. o; E.BERGLING 5,243

DEVICE FOR ARRANGING BOXES Filed March 14, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 3, 1931.

0. E. BERGLING DEVICE FOR ARRANGING BOXES Filed latch 14, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 3, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT'TTY" OFFICE OSKAR EMANUEL BERGLING, OF JONKOPING, SWEDEN DEVICE FOR ABRANGING noxns Application filed March 14, 1929, Serial No. 347,014, and in Sweden January 15, .1929.

In the manufacture 'of matches or in other industries where mechanical means are used to fill boxes, to insert drawers mto shells, or

to perform other operations relating to boxes a. rather hard and expensive work.

This invention has for its object to provide method and means whereby boxes of the type having bottom but no cover, can be automatically turned to right position for such supply. The method of turning the boxes to right position according to this invention is based upon the fact that the centre of gravity of a box of the above said type is not situated in the geometric centre of the box but at a point between the geometric centre and the bottom of the box.

Therefore, according to one feature of the invention the boxes are first arranged so that their bottoms will assume a substantially vertical position and, while in this position, the boxes are rotatably mounted in such away as to turn over under the influence of the torque resulting from the weight of their bottoms, so that the bottoms will be directed more or less downwards. The above said mounting may be realized, for instance, by placing the box with one of its longer or shorter sides upon a knife-edge engaging said side along its middle line and allowing the box to turn freely on said knife-edge. Owing to the weight of the bottom the box will, of

course, turn to that side at'which the bottom is situated.

According to another method the box, after having been placed with its bottom in vertical position, is seized at two opposite points situated on a line through the centre of the box, so that the box owing to the weight of its bottom" may turn around the'ax-is represented by said line, so that the bottom will be directed downwards.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings in whicli,Fig. l'is a vertical cross section of a. mechanism forarranging the boxes in succession to cause the bottom thereof to take up a vertical position. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same mechanism together with means for turning the boxes to bring the bottoms thereof downwards, Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2. Figs. 4-7 are cross sections on an enlarged scale taken along the lines H,

5-5, 66 and 77', respectively, in Fig. 3

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a box to illustrate a method of mounting the box by means of needle shaped supporting members.

With referenceto the drawings, the numeral 1, Fig. 1, represents a conical disc the apex of which is directed upwardly. Said disc may be rotated in they direction indicated by the arrow by means of a belt transmission 2 or the like. 3 represents a box contain'er the bottom of which comprises an endless conveyor belt arranged in an inclined position by means of which the boxes are lifted over the upper roller 40f the conveyor belt. As said roller 4; is situated above the conical disc 1 the boxes'after having passed over the roller 4 will drop upon the conical disc. This feeding of the boxes may be regulated by a rotating brush '5 situated above the conveyorbelt near the upper end thereof and arranged to throw the surplus of boxes back again down into the container. The boxes dropping on the conical disc will be thrown outwardly by the action oftho centrifugal force and the shape of the rotating disc towards a surrounding, stationary mantle 6 situated at such a distance apart from the periphery of the disc that the boxes can only stand on their edges in the annular space 7 therebetween. The boxes entering said space will be standing on a support 8 formed by a flange of the disc l'with their bottoms in a vertical position. In order to cause the boxes to place themselves on one of their longitudinal sides in the space 7 the mantle 6 is formed with an inwardly directed annular guiding flange 9 situated at such a distance apart from the disc 1 and being of such a shape on its under surface as to prevent the boxes from passing between said flange 9 and the disc 1 with either of their end surfaces first but only with their longest dimension extending peripherally.

To the right in Fig. 1 there is shown a box 10 as guided by the flange 9 in the above stated way and to the left in the same figure another box 11 is shown wholly contained in the annular space 7.

From the annular space 7 the boxes, while standing on one of their longitudinal sides, are discharged due to the pressure of the succeeding boxes through an opening in the mantle 6 into an outlet channel or chute 13 one wall 14: of which extends adjacent to the periphery of the rotating disc 1 thereby to cause the boxes to enter the chute 13. A cross section of this chute is shown in Fig. at which also shows the position of a box in the chute. In order to prevent any box from being discharged from the annular space '7 into the outlet 13 in another position than standing .on one of its longitudinal sides a suitably driven, rotating brush 12 (Figs. 2 and 3) is provided which sweeps OK the surplus of boxes as well as those boxes which are not in correct position.

From the outlet chute 13 the boxes are first passed into another chute 15 the cross section of which is shown in Fig. 5. This chute serves to effect a preliminary turning over of the boxes in a direction to bring the bottoms thereof downwards. To this end in the embodiment shown the bottom of the chute 15 is provided with an upstanding knife-edge 17, extending longitudinally midway between the side walls of the chute. Owing to the weight of the bottom of the box a torque will be produced sufiicient to turn the box over towards one side wall of the chute. In order to positively maintain the box in this position the side walls 16 of the chute may diverge upwardly, as shown. The boxes when discharged from the chute 15 enter a chute 18 of more or less circular cross section, Fig. 6. In this chute the turning of the boxes to the position desired for the subsequent operation is completed. After having been thus turned to the position desired the boxes are passed into a chute "9 of rectangular cross section through which the boxes move with theiubottoms downwards, as indicated in Fig. 7. The boxes are now in position for subsequent operations.

As a modification of the method the boxes may be passed directly from the outlet chute into the circular chute 18 which may thus mone effect the turning of the boxes to the position desired.

At the moment at which the boxes start their turning movement they should be out of contact with the preceding and succeeding boxes so that their movement cannot be interfered with due to friction against said preceding or succeeding boxes. Provided sufficient space is available this effect may be obtained in a very simple way by the use of chutes inclined in the direction of feed so that the boxes may slide down individusuitable way yet, however, always in a longitudinally extending vertical plane. A preferred mechanism of the said mentioned type is shown in. Figs. 1 and 2. Attached to the rotary disc 1 is a radially working cam 20 engaged by a roller 21a. upon one end of a lever 21 having a fixed fulcrum El?) and operated by a spring (not shown) to maintain the roller in engagement with the cam. The other end of the lever 21 is pivotally conn-ected to a guide 22 on the chute 1518-19. The chute which is mounted in guides, at 23 and 24:, will thus be caused to perform a reciprocating movement upon the rotation of the disc 1. The cam 20 provided with a number of axially working abutments 25 to engage a roller 2% mounted on the one end of another lever 26 likewise turning on a fixed fulcrum, at 267). This will depress the other end of said lever 26 which is shaped as a hammer, as shown at 260, at intervals causing it to rest upon the boxes contained i the outlet chute 13 during' a period of time of suilicient duration to allow the preceding box that has entered the chute 15 to turn. In order to prevent the boxes from getting out of order or being thrown out during the shaking movement the chutes may be provided with suitable covers.

lVhat is stated above in respect to boxes in general is also true in respect of drawers with shells put thereon. cs mcially in case of boxes not yet filled. This is due to the fact that the shells only add such powers to the movaljile system as are already litllfll'ltftll when the turning over of the boxes begins and. which cannot, therefore, interfere with the turning operation.

What I claim is:

1. A device for arranging boxes having bottom but no cover to a position in which their bottoms are directed downwards, comprising in combination, a disc rotatable around avertical axis to receive the boxes to be arranged, said disc having a flange around its periphery to form a circular carrier, a stationary mantle surrounding said disc at such a distance therearound as to allow only such boxes as are standing with their bottoms in vertical position to rest on said carrier, a guiding flange on the inner side of said mantle to'cause the boxes to reach said carrier in such a position as to be resting on one of their longitudinal sides guiding means to cause the boxes to enter said chute, and other chutes connected with said first mentioned chute and constructed to effect a turning of the boxes so that the bottoms thereof will be directed downwards.

2. A device for arranging boxes having bottom but no cover to a position in which their bottoms are directed downwards, comprising in combination Y a disc rotatable around a vertical axis to receive theboxes to be arranged, said disc having a flange around its periphery to form a circular carrier, an open-topped and open-bottomed stationary mantle surrounding the disc at such a distance therearound as to allow only such boxes as are standing with their bottom in vertical position to rest on said carrier, a guiding flange on the inner side of said mantle to cause the boxes to reach said carrier in such a position as to be resting on one of their longitudinal sides thereon, a chute connected to an opening in said mantle to receive the boxes therefrom, guiding means to cause the boxes to enter said chute, arotary brush to prevent boxes other chutes connected with said first-mentioned chute and constructed to eifecta turning of the boxes so that the bottom thereof will be directed downwards.

3. A device for arranging boxes having bottom but no cover to a position in which their bottoms are directed downwards, comprising in combination a disc rotatable around a vertical axis to receive the boxes to be arranged, said disc having a flange around its periphery to form a circular carrier, an open-topped and open-bottomed stationary mantle surrounding the disc at such as to allow only such connected to an opening in said mantle to receive the boxes therefrom, guiding means to cause the boxes to enter said chute, a sec ond chute connected with said first-mentioned chute and having a longitudinal central knife-edge on its bottom to effect a preliminary turning of the boxes, and a third chute of cylindrical cross section connected v with said second chute and adapted to complete the turning of the boxes so that the bottoms thereof will be directed downwards. 4. A device for arranging boxes having bottom but no cover to a position in which their bottoms are directed downwards, comprising in combination, a disc rotatable around a vertical axis to receive the boxes to be arranged, said disc, having a flange which are not in correct position from entering the chute, and' guiding flange on the inner side of said man- I around its periphery to form a circular carrier, an open-topped tionary mantle surrounding the disc at such a distance therearound as to allow only such boxes as are standing with their bottoms in vertical position to rest on said carrier, a guiding flange on the inner side of said mantle to cause the boxes to reach said carrier in such a position as to be resting on one of their longitudinal sides thereon, a chute connected'to an openingin said mantle to receive the boxes therefrom, guiding means to cause the boxes to enter said chute, a r0- tary brush to preventboxes which are not in correct position from entering the chute, and a second chute connected with said first mentioned chute and having a longitudinal cen-' tral knife edge onits bottom to effect a preliminary turning of the boxes, and a third chute of cylindrical cross section connected with said second chute and adapted to complete the turning of the boxes so that the bottoms thereof will be directed downwards.

In testimony whereof I have signed my nai ne. i,

OSKAR EMANUEL BERGLING.

and open bottomed sta I v 

